Residence Design that Unfurls Like A Handscroll Painting

This week's instalment of Project of the Week interior design series features an astonishing residential villa design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Chains Interior.

Every quarter in this home has its corresponding scenery that narrates the daily life of the family like a Chinese handscroll painting. Along with changes of the outdoor view, the scroll unfurls to tell stories of the dynamic interaction and relationship of family members in each space.

The narrative begins with a standing lamp at the entrance of the home. Silver as the moon, the lantern emits gentle halo to welcome the homeowner’s return. A screen curtain tinged with ink then slowly unravels the landscape of the home. In the living room there are bright windows to invite the riverside view into the space, transforming the interior into a splash-ink landscape painting. The fret-patterned carpet on the floor also blesses every step of the residents with heartfelt wishes of prosperity.

What was the client's brief? 

The client is a couple with two children. The program required independent bedrooms and an intimate family room. Chen’s design started from a garden and then gradually moved from the lobby to the public zone then moved to the upper floor and private quarters. The rhythm of spatial movement follows a virtual trip in the natural landscape like scenes unfolding in a Chinese scroll painting and each view guides the twists and turns that join together in a continuous flow.

The first floor is the public zone. The main door along the car path was slightly converted to guide the twisting turns until the path hits a vista wall illuminating by a standing lamp. The sharp turn that passes the wall then meets a silky screen which allows visual penetration to the living room. Large windows invite inside ample natural light and project a long picturesque canal view.

What inspired the design of the project?

Suzhou has more than 2500 years of history, and is considered to be the oldest city in China. Its unique geographical feature of water canals has given the city the nickname of Eastern Venice. Right along the main channel is a district restricted to only residential purposes so its construction had to follow the toughest guidelines and local codes to protect its long cultural heritage.

The residence sits along main Suzhou cannel and immediately joins with a century old canal while the other side of the residence meets another river conduit. Designer Lien Wu Chen imagined this work as totally integrated into the site and eventually be pictured as a landscape painting projecting a daily life not much change from medieval times.

Designer was moved by local culture and the unique river life inspired him to use local iconic colour like black ink and motifs like a labyrinth loop and herring bone pattern and even modern artistic work has transformed this from a traditional lucky motif to be used extensively. The furnishing objects appeared in this residence have unique features which is dominated by round shapes; lighting fixtures, furniture pieces, art work and small furnishing pieces which have all adopted the round shape as the basic form. Chen has said the round shape signifies prosperity and blissful happiness and is an eternal symbol as a family gathering.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

This project is a huge villa in China. The first problem we faced was how to perfectly express the image of the trade which is a symbolic part of the owner; how to show the concept clearly and integrate it into modern Chinese lifestyle? Second, our company is located in Taipei and the project is far away from us so we couldn't always supervise the decorating process. We looked for local professionals to help us complete this difficult project.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The first floor is the public zone. The main door along the car path was slightly converted to guide the twisting turns until the path hits a vista wall illuminating by a standing lamp. The sharp turn that passes the wall then meets a silky screen which allows visual penetration to the living room. Large windows invite inside ample natural light and project a long picturesque canal view.

Behind a herring-bone patterned glass screen is the dining room wrapped by two partitions covered by a landscape painting. On another side appears a tea platform which is easily accessible to an outdoor river view and can look towards the husband’s childhood house.
The second floor is the second page of the picture books. The space starts from a family room and four functionally different rooms surround the family room and each plays an independent role yet can be joined together as a single space. The family room allows the two kids freely play, read, and sleep. The third floor is the master bedroom, housed under a pitched roof. The perfect position of the reading room window directly confronts canal view and tree top meets the window edge to give a romantic fair-tale fantasy.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

First of all, this award has always been a very indicative and international certification, so we want to let more people see our work by participating in this competition. Secondly, we reached the finals in 2017, 2019 and 2020 competition.

In the 2020 competition, even three of our projects have entered the finals. We hope that we have a chance to win the grand prize this time.

Watch the tour of the residence.

Questions answered by Lien Wu Chen, Design Director, Chains Interior.

This week's instalment of Project of the Week interior design series features a museum design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Huidrom Design Studio.

Imphal Peace Museum is dedicated to the indomitable human spirit which was so abundantly evident in the Manipur manner, as what can only be described as an epochal catastrophe, emerged. These spectacular hills and valleys are no stranger to violence but they had never before seen violence of such industrial-scale as WWII brought to their doorsteps. Though fought on their soil, the Manipuris always knew it was not their war, therefore had no enemies. In the true humanistic tradition the Manipuris, amidst their own misery, harboured no bitterness against any of the warring sides and extended humanitarian help to any soldier in need. This Museum is a Chronicle of the Heroism of the ordinary Manipuris.

This is a 6500 sqft. gallery where WWII archaeological finds are allotted appropriate contextual spaces in the narrative of a cataclysmic historical trajectory Manipur found itself in because of a peculiar turn of the geopolitics of the period. These artefacts from the past are reconnected to the activities which once gave them meaning, by materially and symbolically remaking the world they came from.

What was the client's brief? 

We received a detailed project brief with a reference museum being Haebaru Town Museum in Japan. The display space of the museum was supposed to be divided broadly into two equal sections. The first showing the intensity of the war. The second, which is further divided into two sub-sections (“post-war” and “life & culture”), representing the resilience of these hills and valleys, and the people who made them their homes.

What inspired the design of the project?

The design took into consideration numerous factors such as functionality, scientific rigour, economic concerns, authenticity, and, above all, it was inspired by the collective character of the people of the state.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Our aim in this project was to leverage the material qualities and cultural connotations of wood, to achieve an orderly logic and authenticity, and thus harmonise design, nature and culture.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The highlight of this project was playing with natural textures in the design of the space. Some of them include the entrance wall where rice straw and mud clay are blended, and the exposes patterns of unpolished wood. Another great example of this is a bamboo bridge in a passageway.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Recognition. As the Imphal Peace Museum (IPM) exhibits continue to develop over time, there is hope that the museum itself will serve as a lasting symbol of peace and reconciliation. IPM is a building with local sensibility and stands as a Symbol of Reconciliation after WWII. So, winning or being shortlisted for the SBID Awards would show acknowledgement of all our hard work.

Questions answered by Suresh Huidrom, Senior Designer, Huidrom Design Studio.

The revolutionary ultra-compact surface, Dekton® by Cosentino has been specified at the trendy Kol restaurant in Marylebone, London. Opened in October 2020 by former Noma Mexico chef Santiago Lastra, his debut restaurant Kol brings together Mexican cuisine with local British produce, including shellfish from Scotland's shoreline and foraged ingredients from Kent's woodlands. Kol offers a set menu of unique, thoughtfully curated dishes with plenty of flavour, such as short rib with quince mole, and squash sorbet with rattlesnake chilli.

Designed by A-nrd Studio, Kol's distinctive open plan layout with its kitchen as the central focus pays homage to Mexico with its warming, vibrant colour palette, while also incorporating a sense of pared back, minimalist Scandinavian design with plenty of wooden elements, straight lines and foliage. Spanning across two levels and five hundred square meters, the restaurant also boasts a mezcal bar on the ground floor, for serving up Mexican cocktails and spirits to guests.

Fabricated by LBS Enterprises Ltd, bestselling Dekton® Trilium, made from up to 80% of recycled materials, was the surface of choice throughout the restaurant's kitchen and serving areas. Showcasing a mixture of colours inspired by volcanic rock, Dekton® Trilium's intense and irregular accents of black and grey and its matte finish result in a rich and varied surface design, with an appearance that alters depending on the angle of the light on the surface.

"Dekton was always the surface of choice for my new Kol restaurant in Marylebone, London," says Santiago. "Its technical properties exceed the other options available and there is so much choice when it comes to the look and feel of the surface; it was difficult to choose a colour! We decided that Dekton Trilium was perfect for helping to convey the relaxed yet fun feel that we wanted in the restaurant - plus, we loved the fact that Dekton Trilium is made from 80% recycled materials. I am so pleased with how Trilium has brought the open-plan restaurant kitchen design to life, and its durability is second to none."

As with all Dekton® designs, Dekton® Trilium boasts superior technical properties, such as high resistance to UV rays, scratches, stains and thermal shock, and very low water absorption. Made from a sophisticated mixture of the raw materials used to make glass, next-generation porcelain surfaces and quartz surfaces, Dekton® is suitable for a variety of different projects, including worktops, flooring and wall cladding, both inside and outside. Dekton® Trilium is also available in Dekton® 4mm Slim, which combines the technical and mechanical features that Dekton® is known for with a much thinner (4mm), lighter (10 kg/m2), and manageable format for installation - ideal for wall, door and furniture cladding.

In addition, carbon neutrality has been achieved for the entire life cycle of Dekton® (from cradle to grave), covering Scopes 1, 2 and 3, from the extraction of the raw material, to the use of the product and the end of its life. This recognition, obtained through emission reduction and compensation projects certified by the United Nations, confirms the good practices of Cosentino Group in terms of sustainability and environmental management.

Image credits: Bircan Tulga, Black Edge Productions.

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This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features joined office and night venue designs by 2021 SBID Awards Finalists Teodora Panayotova & Max Baklayan.

The designers received one of the most unusual briefs for Tavex's new home Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde - to transform one space to incorporate two areas that completely contradict each other. The challenging project was a great success with the team achieving outstanding results upon completion of the brief.

What was the client's brief? 

The clients' desire was to create a two-purpose space – a functional, convenient office during the day and a party venue in the evenings, but without the need to actually move anything around. This puzzle made the brief irresistible to the designers.

What inspired the design of the project?

The space itself created many challenges due to its position on the ground floor and the single space layout. However, it was simultaneously the biggest inspiration. "From the moment we set foot in the office, it screamed at us – Industrial Minimalism." Teodora Panayotova says that as a designer, she could not ignore the scream.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The office presented two problems - one was obviously the duality of its purpose, the two could not be further away on the spectrum. The second was the fact they needed to increase the office area by about 150 square meters, yet keep everything airy and minimal. Since the space is on the first floor, with no panoramic views and no full day of sunlight, nothing was walled off, and only glass, OSB, and metal rails were used. We are particularly proud of the two balconies on each side of the office and the tall ceiling in the middle of the office, interrupted only by the mirroring meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The project's highlight is the 6-meter marble bar that greets you when you walk into the office. With just a flick of the switch, the purpose of the bar changes instantly. It is the place where you get your morning cup of coffee, your 5 o'clock tea in the afternoon, and a sip of London Dry after 7.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Teodora sincerely believes that what they created here is unique. Countless offices have game rooms, pool tables, relaxing zones, and lots of areas for different purposes. This project incorporates two of the most opposite use cases possible. It does so in a single space, without one interfering with the other. It contains everything that an office needs and so much more yet stays true to the industrial minimalism the designers set off to achieve.

Questions answered by Teodora Panayotova, Interior Designer, Teodora Panayotova & Max Baklayan.

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features a renovation project of a Victorian Eatery by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Blue Sky Hospitality.

MAGENTA restaurant, bar, and private dining, have been created from the conversion of a 19^th century bank building, located on the corner of Euston and Belgrove road, just across St Pancras and Kings Cross train stations.

What if… in 1880, British engineers and scientists from the St Pancras Coal, Steel and Gas industries had decided to create their own eatery? Enlisting help from the large community of Italian immigrants based around Kings Cross, they would have built a venue celebrating ‘La Dolce Vita’ with an authentic, local British identity. A place for libations and celebrations of everyday life, until it closed, swept away by the turmoil of time.

What if… 141 years later, the premises were renovated and updated with a modernist sensibility and reopened… transformed into a giant art installation? A bar and restaurant within an indoor pergola of Victorian industrial architecture, dressed in a palette of coal, steel and oak, upholstered with magenta wool and anthracite leather. An evocative space where thousands of butterflies, flutter overhead, in shimmering hues of pink and silver, to a cinematic soundtrack punctuated by atmospheric bird songs. The result might look, taste, and feel like what “MAGENTA” is today.

What was the client's brief? 

The brief was to convert an existing bank within a 19^th century building into a restaurant and bar with a design that will optimise the internal volume and reduce impact of constraints, draw inspiration from its location, provide a joyful environment for staff and customers, offer a unique, memorable social space and enhances the neighbourhood of Kings Cross- St Pancras.

What inspired the design of the project?

The main inspiration for the design was a story about Kings Cross in 1880 - blending facts and fiction.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The most challenging part of the brief was optimising the internal layouts to make it efficient to operate and provide a pleasant customer experience…while respecting the period architecture of the façade.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The most exciting part of the project was the creation of a ceiling art installation using 5,000 metal butterflies.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

It is always an exciting experience to enter awards, however given the calibre of work and entries into these global awards, it makes it even more special.

Questions answered by Henry Chebaane, Creative Director, Blue Sky Hospitality.

With the size of the average UK bathroom measuring around 4.4m2, the latest designer collection from RAK Ceramics solves the problem of creating luxury results in compact spaces. In fact, RAK-Petit is designed specifically with small bathrooms in mind with a transversal collection of washbasins designed for architects and interior designers who address the spatially-challenged environments.

Created in collaboration with award-winning Italian designer Maurizio Scutellà, RAK-Petit is a collection of small washbasins for compact spaces, from cloakrooms and en-suites to small family bathrooms. With minimal shapes and modest dimensions, RAK-Petit washbasins are perfect for small but special bathroom spaces that are also big on style.

The collection includes deep-based washbasins that can be installed alone or combined with RAK-Joy vanity units in the domestic bathrooms, as well as freestanding washbasins that are statement pieces in their own right.

Featuring circular and square shapes, the freestanding ceramic RAK-Petit washbasins in striking Alpine White measure an elegant 360mm wide x 900mm tall. RAK-Petit wall-hung washbasins are equally as stylish, again with round or square basin shapes combined with a ceramic ledge, providing an easy to wipe clean surface for soaps and toothbrushes. Measurements for the wall-hung basins are 765mm x 360mm.

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Architectural and interior designer, antiques dealer and furniture designer Rose Uniacke is pleased to present Rose Uniacke Paint, a debut paint collection that was launched this month.

Taking Rose Uniacke’s renowned fabric collection as inspiration, the range comprises 14 colours that offer a refined backdrop to the timeless decorative style that the designer is celebrated for. The debut paint range will be 100% natural and chemical-free and is suited to both traditional and modern interiors.

Paints with an environmental conscience 

An effortless versatility underpins the palette of carefully considered neutral colours which range from the gently green-hued ‘Apple Mint’ to the softly pink-toned ‘Bloom’. Made using the highest quality natural and sustainable materials, the ecologically accountable paint range offers exceptional performance, durability and coverage while being preservative and plastic-free.

“I have long mixed my own bespoke paints for the projects I design and so it made sense to share some of these colours. I wanted to do this in an environmentally conscious way, and so creating a range that’s 100% natural and chemical-free was a priority from the outset.” says Rose Uniacke.

The range is available in three finishes suited to both internal and external applications. Grafclean and Grafclean Midsheen are composed of vegetable resins and ecological materials, while half of the range is available in Ecosphere, a paint based on pure lime which helps purify the air by absorbing CO2. So pure is the Ecosphere paint that 15L will absorb nearly 5.0kg of CO2.

“It was an absolute must that we developed our debut paint collection in partnership with a brand which has the environment at its core” added Uniacke.

Rose Uniacke Paints are sold exclusively in the new Rose Uniacke Fabric Shop at 103 Pimlico Road, SW1, and online.

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This week's instalment of Project of the Week interior design series features an open plan residential space design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, Nicola Burt Interior Design.

The company was tasked with transforming a tired separate kitchen, living and dining room into a warm, slightly opulent open plan space, that reflected the 1930s built of the house.

They achieved this by removing the structural wall separating the kitchen from the living area, and installing a new emerald green kitchen and island to integrate the spaces together whilst still retaining the separate zones. The warm, opulent feel was enhanced by the orange, green and blue velvet tones of the upholstered furniture together with the wood parquet floor.

Wherever possible Nicola Burt Interior Design team reused existing furniture and accessories, to minimise waste and the impact on the environment.

What was the client's brief? 

The brief from the client was to transform a tired and awkward separate kitchen, living and dining room into an open plan kitchen/dining/living space.

The client wanted a room where she could entertain as well as cook and relax. She also wanted to be able to look out onto her garden, so our team installed a wall of glazed Crittall Bifold doors, which retained that 1930s feel.

What inspired the design of the project?

The client wanted to be bold and use colour - she has some artworks by Louis Turpin in the space which are incredibly vibrant and colourful, so I drew inspiration from those for the scheme. The artwork inspired the choice of emerald green for the kitchen cabinetry.

We then paired the green kitchen with an orange velvet scalloped sofa and armchair, and a blue-green swivel chair and bar stool to enhance the vibrancy and opulent feel. I was keen to re-use existing furniture where possible - we retained the client's colourful Christian Lacroix rug which worked perfectly with the scheme, and the client's existing dining chairs. Our team also upholstered her piano stool in a beautiful vibrant offcut of woven Ghanaian fabric.

The Crittall Bifold doors to the garden, touches of gold in the handles and tap, scalloped furniture, Tristan and Isolde table lamps, all referenced the warm Art Deco feel the client wanted in her 1930s home.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

A major challenge was working with COVID restrictions, something that I had never encountered in my 16 years working as an interior designer. We began planning the project in March 2020, but then almost immediately the first complete lockdown came into force. I had to pivot really quickly to ensure we could keep working, so I advised the client that we could continue to plan the new space remotely until we were allowed to meet face-to-face on site. This would mean we would be ready to go as soon as restrictions were lifted.

As soon as we were permitted, our team appointed an architect in to survey and draw up plans, a structural engineer to survey and do drawings for the steels, contractors to price for the work, and Building Control to inspect. After the client signed off the kitchen design we could then place the order for the furniture, with fingers crossed there would be no delays due to COVID disrupting supply chains.

The building work was booked to start in September 2020 and when it began the contractor discovered that the original frame of the property had been constructed from poured concrete, which was incredibly solid and heavy to remove. This delayed the work slightly, but we completed the project at the end of October.

It was stressful but we were incredibly lucky to get the major building work done and completed in between the various lockdown restrictions.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The first highlight was seeing the client’s joy when the scheme came together and how thrilled she was with her new space.

The second was being nominated as a finalist in the SBID Awards. There was such a great reaction to this project in the press and social media so I thought I would enter it into the awards. I never thought for a minute it would be nominated and I am so thrilled. It just confirms to me that you should be brave and trust your instincts with your design ideas!

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

I entered the SBID Awards as they are so prestigious in the industry, and the judges are of the highest calibre. To be nominated as a finalist has been such a boost to my confidence, reputation and business, and to (hopefully!) win would be even more amazing, not only for me but as an inspiration to all the interior design students I teach.

Questions answered by Nicola Burt, Interior Designer, Nicola Burt Interior Design.